Senior Manager, Innovation & Growth Strategy

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL®) is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

With more than 1500 employees across the US and Canada, the NHL is a global sports and entertainment organization committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

At the NHL, we are looking for dynamic, energetic and impactful individuals who are committed to doing the same by sharing in our philosophy that Hockey is for Everyone – and inclusion belongs on the ice, in the locker rooms, boardrooms and stands.

WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU

SUMMARY
The NHL’s Innovation and Growth Strategy department plays a critical role defining the League’s future growth agenda and shaping the broader sports innovation landscape. We are seeking a Senior Manager to support the development, implementation, and execution of League strategies aimed at profitably growing the overall size of the global NHL audience. This role is focused on:

• Identifying opportunities to attract new NHL fans in priority markets,
• Evaluating and supporting the launch and execution of programs to enhance the fan experience and drive increased engagement,
• Generating incremental revenue for the League, Clubs, and Partners, and
• Increasing the overall value of the NHL and its member Clubs.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with excellent problem solving and communication skills, and a self-starter with a passion for sports, technology, innovation, and growth initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Innovation and Growth Initiatives

• Creation of long-term League strategies, with a focus on audience growth and incremental revenue for the League and Clubs in priority markets
• Evaluate the return on investment into assets, capabilities, management systems and / or partnerships to develop new business opportunities and / or adapt to market trends
• Develop actionable solutions for challenges facing the League to achieve the greatest possible growth and penetration in priority markets
• Work from ideation to execution, including coordinating internal and external proof of concepts to assess opportunities and create appropriate stakeholder buy-in

Business Planning, Analysis & Research

• Identify and deconstruct business issues by utilizing appropriate strategic, analytical, and financial frameworks
• Research consumer, competitive, and macroeconomic/geopolitical trends and perform necessary financial modeling to support diligence and planning for medium and long-term innovation and growth opportunities
• Monitor emerging trends across the sports, entertainment, media and technology industries and understand the impact to League medium and long-term business planning
• Document and communicate strategic priorities and innovation initiatives through presentations, written memos and other media
• Develop and maintain a network of professionals across the sports media and tech ecosystem with insight into promising technologies and emerging market trends

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge Areas/Experience

Required

• 4-6 years of strategic/management consulting, investment banking, venture capital or private equity analyst experience; or experience within internal strategy team in related field (Media, Sports, etc.)
• Experience with strategy formulation, hypothesis testing, and quantitative modeling, including P&L forecasts, corporate valuations, market sizing and growth analyses, and scenario analyses
• Ability to analyze large quantities of data in an error-free manner and deliver relevant insights
• Familiarity with strategic, analytical, and financial frameworks and the ability to apply these frameworks across a variety of scenarios
• Proactive, self-starter who can work independently within a set of objectives and “manage up”
• Willingness to challenge the status quo in pursuit of advantageous business opportunities
• Knowledge of Sports, Entertainment, Media and Technology industries required

Education/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, statistics, mathematics, or engineering from an accredited 4-year college or university. MBA or other advanced degree preferred but not required.

Required Skills

• Excellent written communication skills, with ability to craft executive-level memos and presentations
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and explain complex topics to a variety of audiences
• Exceptional problem-solving, decision-making, relationship-building and negotiation skills
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

CORE COMPETENCIES
These core competencies reflect the underlying values that are necessary to represent the National Hockey League:

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Inclusion
• Professionalism
• Teamwork & Collaboration

The NHL offers U.S. regular, full-time employees:

Time to Recharge: Utilize our generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to focus on your well-being and ensure a healthy work/life balance. PTO includes paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick days, plus an extra day off for your birthday.

Ability to Focus on your Health: Along with competitive salaries, the NHL offers comprehensive health benefits to employees and their eligible dependents effective on their first day with us – there is no waiting period. The NHL subsidizes a large portion of the health benefits costs, therefore your cost for medical, dental and vision coverage is minimal.

We also offer our employees and members of their household access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support mental, physical, and financial health. In addition, employees have access to a digital wellness resource designed to improve health and happiness through courses in sleep, movement, and focus. These services are confidential and at no-cost to our employees.

Childcare Leave: Because your family is the NHL family, employees are offered comprehensive Childcare Leave to welcome your new addition. The primary caregiver to the child is entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Employees that are not the primary caregiver to the child are entitled to up to 6 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, which must be taken within the first 6 months following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Confidence in your Retirement Goals: Participate in the NHL’s Savings Plan which includes a 401K(pre-tax and Roth options) plus non-elective (employer) contributions to keep your retirement goals on track.

A Hybrid Work Schedule: The NHL recognizes the value of flexibility in work locations/schedules to help our employees balance work/life priorities. Hybrid work schedules are available for a majority of our roles.

Our New Headquarters: Our new, state of the art, offices are located at One Manhattan West in Hudson Yards. When you’re in the office, you can conduct meetings in one of our high-tech conference rooms, have lunch with a view or play in the game room. Employees can also enjoy New York’s newest neighborhood that is home to more than 100 shops, culinary experiences, and public artwork.

A Savings for Commuting: Participate in the NHL’s pre-tax commuter benefit plan whichhelps offset the financial cost of traveling to and from our office.

NHL Partner Rates: Unlock exclusive pricing from our Partners that include savings on travel, consumer goods and services, plus the NHL Store.

Life at the NHL: In your first few days, you meet with your new teammates and the HR Team. You have the opportunity to learn more about the NHL and our workplace culture. Employees are invited to play hockey during our Tuesday Night Skate at Chelsea Piers, join our Employee Resource Groups and more. You are a part of our team and we encourage you to be your authentic self, adding to our dynamic workplace culture.

SALARY RANGE:

$110-150K

Actual base pay for a successful candidate will be determined based on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to: experience/training, market demands, and geographic location.

When applying, please be sure to include a cover letter with your salary expectations for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity, however only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. NO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.